


The Straight and Narrow

by cashewdani



Series: Gettin' In Tune [2]
Category: Freaks and Geeks
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-07
Updated: 2008-03-07
Packaged: 2018-01-15 02:53:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1288510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cashewdani/pseuds/cashewdani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>It’s been two months and Lindsay still isn’t allowed out of the house.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Straight and Narrow

It’s been two months and Lindsay still isn’t allowed out of the house. And honestly, there’s only so much _Monopoly_ Ken can play with her and her parents before he starts to really lose his mind.

Mrs. Weir always makes blondies or different flavored popcorn and her husband is always the battleship and Lindsay always rolls her eyes when he starts talking about Korea. But, she smiles while she’s doing it and lately so does her dad.

Lindsay’s been calmer since coming back to town, and Ken’s found it’s mellowing him out too. He hasn’t even smoked since he finished up his stash of weed over a month ago. She just lets him be, and that makes him want to be better. 

So, Ken sucks it up and puts houses down at Marvin Gardens and pretends to be really interested in a war that he knows absolutely nothing about. 

He hasn’t won a game yet.

\---

“You’re dating her family. You’re doing the exact same freaky thing Nick did when his dad kicked him out.” Daniel is sharing this wisdom from between bites of ketchup drenched fries.

“Except, I’m actually dating her.” 

Lindsay has been tutoring freshman in Spanish on Mondays, and for some reason, everyone’s decided the only thing they can talk about when she’s not around is what she’s doing with Ken.

“What you’re doing is not dating. It’s like being married or something.” Daniel gestures at Ken’s pop, and Ken just sighs and lets him have it because he only has the energy to argue about one thing a lunch period.

Daniel takes a sip and passes it to Kim. “Lindsay told me you played _Monopoly_ again on Saturday.” She gives him this disdainful look. “ _Monopoly_?”

“Hey, you don’t know, maybe he got into her community chest.” Daniel’s eyebrows go up and he gives Ken this stupid smirk and nod.

Kim switches her look to Daniel. “He didn’t. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.”

“Can we please talk about anything else?” But, the two of them ignore him and go on to make some more stupid puns like his B&O turning on the waterworks.

While they’re hysterical over their amazing wit, Ken starts to almost feel bad about how much shit he put Nick through last year. But, then he looks over to where Andopolis is sitting with Sara to see Nick’s started wearing a gold chain.

Nick brings it on himself and deserves whatever he gets.

\---

Ken’s sitting with Lindsay on the curb out in the parking lot. They’re both cutting English because class is some assembly of a traveling Shakespeare company and it will always be too early to deal with that. “My parents want to know if they’ll be seeing you on Friday.” 

“I really can’t take any more of that guy with the monocle.”

She leans her head on his shoulder. “We could play _Scrabble_.”

“Or, maybe we can try convincing your parents that if I take you out, the world isn’t going to end.”

“We could, but I was hoping to see you this Friday, not one after we graduate.” Lindsay pulls the infamous army jacket tighter around herself. “When did it get to be winter?”

“Probably around the time fall ended.” Ken picks up her pink hands and blows on them. “So, do you want to cheat at _Scrabble_ in the hopes your parents get fed up at losing and go to bed early?”

“Yeah, why not.” The warning bell echoes from the building and Lindsay says, “We have ten minutes left. Are you going to put some moves on me or what?”

“Oh, now you’re asking for it.” She smiles around his kiss, placing her palms flat up against him inside his puffy vest. 

Ten minutes ends much too quickly, and she pulls back, resting her forehead against his. “I’m late for economics.” 

Ken can’t honestly remember what class he’s supposed to be in. He covers her cold ears and kisses her one more time. “Alright, come on.”

Lindsay heads up to the second floor when they get inside, but, from the top of the stairs yells down, “Start thinking of words with the letter z!”

Ken gets detention when he finally makes it to Geology and nothing happens to Lindsay because she was smart and lied that she wasn’t feeling well. She tells him on the phone that night that the nurse took one look at her flushed face and made her lie down for the rest of the class, until her color looked a little better. 

He gives her the two “z” words he was able to come up with: zoo and zipper. “Maybe you should try q instead,” and lists off, “zygote, zephyr, zebra…” without even trying.

\---

Nick gives him a ride home one day, killing time before he has to get Sara at play practice or a choir rehearsal or something like that. 

Last year, the car was constantly filled with crap: scraps of notebook paper and old pop bottles and at least one random drum stick poking out of somewhere. Anyone getting in had to slide a pile of everything imaginable onto the floor and then spend the ride stepping all over it. Now, the interior’s empty and there’s a stupid cardboard pine tree hanging from the rearview mirror.

Nick’s got it real bad for Sara or he still has it bad for Lindsay and doesn’t know what to do with himself. It makes Ken a little nervous because either way Nick is as big of a mess as his car used to be.

When they pull up in Ken’s driveway Nick says, “You mind hanging out for awhile? I got like 20 minutes left.” The car’s already warmed up and _Pink Floyd_ is on the radio, so, he stays. Nick lights a cigarette and drums on the steering wheel and it feels in that moment exactly like it always used to. Him and Nick, just there together. Waiting for Daniel to finish fighting with Kim. Avoiding going to Biology. Being broke and bored in Michigan. 

It feels like so many afternoons in his life that he has to ask, “Are you really ok with me dating Lindsay?” to see if things have changed and he just doesn’t notice.

“Yeah. Yeah, of course I am. She’s a cool girl and after what happened with Amy, yeah. You’re a great guy and you make her happy.” He’s upbeat at first and then loses what Ken is guessing was fake enthusiasm. “You make her happy and I didn’t.” Nick says it like it’s something he’s realized a long time ago and still hasn’t gotten around to coming to terms with. He looks at his watch. “I should probably get back.”

“Sure. Thanks for the ride.” Ken turns to grab his notebook and coat out of the backseat and opens the door. “I’m sorry, man.” Nick shrugs. “You make Sara happy, if it helps.”

Nick gives him a sad smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow” and Ken watches him drive away.

\----

During study hall, a slip of paper is passed to him by Lindsay. _My mom said if we’re home by dinner, you can take me out after school. And just in case we still need them- maze, graze, zit, zesty and dizzy if we get one of those blank tiles._

He writes her back. _Will you go out with me on Friday?  
___ Yes, the possibility of this event has kept me alive. Thank you God and Ken Miller’s parents  
___ No, I only used you to look better at board games in front of my own parents, sorry loser_

_But before you make your decision, just know that I’ve already got quail, quiet and quiz, so, you should probably watch out. _

She smothers a laugh with her palm, but he can still read it all over her face.

\---

They wind up just hanging out with everyone at the pizzeria for as long as they can without buying anything more than pop. After 13 minutes, they’re standing outside.

Daniel offers them a ride, but Lindsay wants to walk. She lets Ken hold her hand and she’s started wearing this scarf her grandmother made for her when she was a kid and Ken just wants to kiss her. When he does, her lips are warm and she tastes like the Coke she split with Kim.

Mrs. Weir gives them hot chocolate when they get home practically frozen, although Ken doesn’t really think he was all that cold. They make fun of the tail end of _General Hospital_ and Sam keeps talking to his mom about whether she’ll loan him money so he can buy _Asteroids_ for the Atari.

Lindsay slips her feet with their little white socks under his thigh and makes a comment about how could Laura marry someone with such atrocious hair and Ken is maybe kind of in love with her.

He has straight B’s for the first time since, well, ever and he doesn’t always have to be in his quiet house any more and he gets to be with Lindsay. 

It’s worth all of the _Monopoly_ anyone’s ever played.


End file.
